Wednesday, 1 February 2006

RFID passport logo (or "mark of the beast"?)

How can you tell if your passport contains an RFID chip?

Look for this logo on the label:

If there's an RFID chip in your passport , identity thieves, terrorists, direct marketers, data aggregators, malicious governments, or anyone else with a radio receiver within 10 meters (30+ feet) or more whenever your passport is read at a border crossing, airport, etc. can secretly and remotely track you, log your movements through the unique "collision avoidance" ID number sent by the chip, and intercept and decrypt all the data (including your digital photo and, in some countries, your digitized fingerprints) needed to "'clone" a perfect copy of your passport, forge other identity credentials, or impersonate you.

All passports that contain ICAO standard (ICAO document 9303) RFID chips (ISO standard 14443) are supposed to have this logo on the front cover, printed or embossed in such a manner that it can't readily be effaced or removed without leaving conspicuous traces. Border guards and immigration inspectors need to be able to distinguish quickly and reliably between a (valid, for the time being) passport that never contained an RFID chip, and an invalid (under current USA regulations and, I expect, similar regulations in other countries that are putting RFID chips in passports) passport that contains a defective or disabled RFID chip.

A visible logo is needed because the RFID chip might not otherwise be readily or reliably detectable. When I felt the sampleRFID passports passed around at CFP 2005 by Frank Moss , director of the Passport Office of the USA Department of State, I could (just barely) detect the RFID chip embedded in the cover by its stiffness when I bent the cover sharply and rolled the bend back and forth across the width of the cover page. But if I were a government agency, I wouldn't want to rely on that. The chip or antenna might fail if the cover was bent sharply every time the passport was checked. And the Passport Office reportedly has been shopping for smaller chips less prone to breakage in the laminating and binding machinery, which would also be harder to detect by feel.

The RFID passport logo was prominently printed or embossed on the cover of all of Moss' sample RFID passports, immediately below the words, "United States of America" -- but without any indication, anywhere in the passport, even in the finest print, that would tip off those not already in the know as to what the logo means.

The ICAO technical documents include an entire paper on the RFID passport logo, the need for standard RFID indicia on passports, and the discussion of which of several proposed logos to adopt. But none of those proposed logos, much less which one was ultimately adopted as the standard, are reproduced in the file on the public ICAO Web site.

The USA State Department mentions the logo in its "FAQ on RFID Passports", and even includes a hyperlink to an image file -- that doesn't exist at the specified location. But I found an image file with the same name, which I recognized and remembered from Moss's sample RFID passports at CFP, in another public directory elsewhere on the State Department Web server. Here's how the Passport Office describes the logo and its use:

What is the Electronic Passport logo and what does it mean?

The Electronic Passport logo (shown at the right above) is the international symbol for an electronic passport. It signifies that the passport contains an integrated circuit or chip on which data about the passport and passport bearer is stored. The logo will be displayed at border inspection lanes at all airports and transit ports equipped with special data readers for Electronic Passports.

RFID has acquired deservedly negative connotations with the public. In response, the USA State Department, ICAO, and European proponents of RFID chips in identity cards all use the Newspeak "electronic passport" or "e-passport" for passports containing embedded RFID chips, and "contactless integrated circuit" for the ISO 14443 standard RFID chips themselves.

The State Department will probably say that the broken link to the logo in it's FAQ is an innocent error. They haven't returned my phone calls seeking comment on this as well as on what, if anything, they plan to do in response to the news of Dutch experiments in which similarly-encrypted RFID passport data was remotely intercepted, the encryption scheme cracked, and the data recovered. But it appears that they want to be discreet with the public about the meaning of this logo.

Why?

Some people think RFID chips are the mark of the beast mentioned in the Christian bible. I suspect that the State Department, and perhaps others, are afraid that some of these people might interpret the RFID logo as its own sort of "mark" of the Beast, and object to having to carry it on their passports. Whatever you think of their beliefs, they might pose a problem for a government that claims to be faith-based and Christian and that has been steadily enlarging the exceptions from government regulations for the "free exercise of religion", especially if that religion is Christian.

There's even some interesting case law to support religious objections to displaying government "marks", most notably Wooley vs. Maynard (430 U.S. 705), the 1977 case in which the Supreme Court upheld the right of a religious pacifist to cover over the "Live Free or Die!" slogan on their New Hampshire motor vehicle license plates. Coincidentally, both the National Passport Center in Portsmouth -- probably the site of the USA's first production line for standard RFID passports -- and one of the most active chapters of CASPIAN -- the leading opponents of non-consensual RFID use in the USA -- are located just a few miles apart in southeastern New Hampshire. [Addendum, 17 May 2006: Some more recent information suggests that the first standard RFID passport production line in the USA may be at the second, but expanding, National Passport Center in Charleston, SC. But we won't really know until we start seeing them. Passports issued either in Portsmouth or Charleston say only "national Passport Center" as the place of issuance, so take note of the postmark on the envelope in which you receive your new passport.]

In a recent report on this, Boing Boing said that, "The US State Department has said that RFID-chipped passports will not be issued to travelers 'until privacy-related concerns have been addressed.'" That's what the State Department said when it first published its proposed regulations. But don't get the mistaken idea that RFID deployment in USA passports is on hold -- except to the extent that it has been delayed by the unreliability of the chips and readers -- or that privacy concerns have actually been addressed. The State Department put the final regulations into effect later last year with only minor and ineffectual changes -- such as the addition of the "Basic Access Control" encryption scheme for some of the data (but not the unencrypted unique ID number) that has already been cracked .

So what can you do if you get a new passport with an RFID chip? (Did I mention that you have no choice about whether you'll get chipped passport, and no way to tell when you apply if you'll be one of the guinea pigs?)

You can't disable the RFID chip without voiding your passport: "Any passport which has been materially changed in physical appearance or composition, or contains a damaged, defective or otherwise nonfunctioning electronic chip, or which includes unauthorized changes, obliterations, entries or photographs, ... may be invalidated."

You can carry your RFID passport in a tin-foil hat: At least one company is already selling RF-opaque wallet inserts to hold credit cards or similarly sized items with RFID chips, and they've told me their next product will be a similar but larger optically transparent RFID shielding passport cover. As one of its "concessions" to critics, the State Department is adding RF shielding to the outer cover of the passport. But that won't protect it from RF interrogation and reading whenever the cover is opened for visual inspection of the data page. With an add-on sleeve like a book cover that the passport cover slips into, the passport could be opened for visual inspection of the inside data page without exposing the chip in the cover to RF reading. Even that, however, won't protect against the attack used in the recent Dutch cracking demonstrations: eavesdropping on the radio exchange between the chip and a legitimate reader at a border crossing or airport, where you are forced by government order to allow the RFID chip in your passport to be read.

There's no apparent "technical fix" to the security risks of RFID chips in passports; the problem requires a legislative fix to prohibit use of RFID chips in identity credentials or their nonconsensual or undisclosed commercial use, and to enact a comprehensive data privacy law in the USA to prohibit the use, sale, rental, or sharing of personal data about us acquired (through use of RFID chips, in the course of commercial transactions, or otherwise) by "private" entities, without our permission, without our knowledge, or for purposes other than those for which we originally provided it. That's what the law requires in Canada and the European Union, and what it should require in the USA. And none of those countries, or any others, should be endangering their citizens by putting RFID chips in passports.

In the meantime, if you do find this "mark" on your passport, please let me know about it. It would help others to know when and by which Passport Offices these start being issued. And I know several technical experts who would be very interested in testing RFID passports "in the wild", to see if the attacks demonstrated against Dutch passports with RFID chips will also work against similar USA passports, and what other vulnerabilities they may have.

[Further addendum, 3 February 2006: Blank RFID-chipped passports that could be used to forge passports with "cloned" RFID chips are already in criminal circulation: AllAfrica.com and This Day newspaper report today that more than 2,000 RFID-chipped Nigerian passport blanks were stolen from the headquarters of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)in the capital city, Abuja, even before the NIS had its own equipment in place to issue the first "e-passports" using these blanks. Some of the stolen blanks were reportedly seized and recovered while being shipped to Europe, but it's not clear if all of the stolen blanks were recovered. And there's no reason to think there won't be, if there haven't been already, more thefts elsewhere.]

[Further addendum, 6 February 2006: I guess the USA State Department reads this blog: Now that I've let the cat out of the bag by posting the logo, they've fixed the link to the image of the logo on their Web page about RFID passports.]

[Further addendum, 1 August 2006: See pages 29-31 (31-33 of the PDF file) of the 2006 inaugural issue of the Machine-Readable Travel Documents Report for ICAO's specifications and explanation of what it calls "the ChipInside symbol".]

Killing the chip is simple. Just simply put the passport in the microwave for 15 seconds on low. Than put it on the ground and stomp on both covers separately. That will do it! If anyone asks, just tell them your passport was fine and there is no telling what happened! They can pass you through by way of computer. No chip is needed.

Posted by: Jan, 6 November 2006, 22:23 (10:23 PM)

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Posted by: Lambeth, 18 December 2006, 04:38 ( 4:38 AM)

I ran across the documentation accompanying a new passport with an RFID chip in it. One of the bullet points listed is:

If the chip in your Electronic Passport should cease to function, your passport remains valid for travel throughout the world, and

Your Electronic Passport can be inspected in the same manner as a non-electronic passport.

Sounds to me like if you disable it, it's still valid, as long as there's no overt evidence of tampering.

Posted by: YTrozS, 20 December 2006, 10:30 (10:30 AM)

Me and my friends have received US Passports after the deadline to start implementing them. The passports make reference to the RFID chip, but non of them have the symbol. I've searched for other ways to tell if you have the chip, and have found non. However I've found several websites that misquote this site. Interesting.

Posted by: FANTiM, 8 January 2007, 04:01 ( 4:01 AM)

I just received a passport and I live in South Dakota and I did NOT get an RFID enabled passport.

Posted by: Nick, 28 February 2007, 18:04 ( 6:04 PM)

I renewed my passport in Feb-2007. When I received my new one it didn't have a RFID enabled chip in it. I live in Texas. Thanks

Posted by: suellen, 3 March 2007, 14:53 ( 2:53 PM)

I just got my passport (issued 3/1/07) and it does not have a chip. I am in California.

Posted by: k, 5 March 2007, 19:53 ( 7:53 PM)

My husband and I both applied for passports in February 2007. His was a replacement for a lost passport; mine was a new application (I had a passport that was more than 10 years expired). We applied at the same office in San Francisco, although a few days apart. We received our passports in separate envelopes, a few days apart. Both were from the same address: 1269 Holland St., Bldg. D, Charleston, SC 29405. My husband's passport has the chip logo and mine does not.

Posted by: Susan, 15 March 2007, 19:09 ( 7:09 PM)

My wife and I Just got our passports. They are replacement passport 11 years old. We ordered them 1/21/2007 and got them today 3/16/2007. Neither passport has the logo. We are in Texas.

Posted by: Doug, 16 March 2007, 15:25 ( 3:25 PM)

My brother and I got new passports just recently, and as everyone before has said, the passports don't have that particular logo. I guess they are being issued in certain states for the time being or they're having production difficulties at the moment

I got my passport in the mail just yesterday (march 26th) And It doesn't have the chip. I was a new application and I live in Texas.

Posted by: Ryan, 27 March 2007, 05:37 ( 5:37 AM)

I applied for a passport renewal by mail on January 23, 2007, and received it today from 31 Rochester Avenue, Portsmouth NH 03801-2900. It does not have the RFID logo on it.

Posted by: Ron Newman, 31 March 2007, 09:45 ( 9:45 AM)

I, too, just got my passport renewed (received April 7, 2007, sent off Feb 3, 2007 - exactly 9 weeks) and it came back from the Portsmouth NH mega-center. I was trying to figure out why I dodged the RFID bullet (no logo on passport, old-style pages), and I found this senate hearing from 3/20/2007:

U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Trade and Tourism, Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade and Tourism Testimony of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services Tony Edson March 20, 2007 10:00 a.m.

Here's the relevant paragraph (about half-way down the page):

The Department of State began issuing diplomatic e-passports on December 30, 2005, and official e-passports in April 2006. We began issuing e-passports to the public on August 14, 2006. All our domestic passport agencies have been fully converted to issue e-passports. Conversion of the two remaining mega-centers is forthcoming, pending sufficient blank e-passport inventory.

I think that last sentence says it all: not fully converted, pending sufficient blank e-passport stock. Perhaps the State Dept was so overwhelmed by applications (which they didn't seem to anticipate). Either way, that bullet has been dodged for another 10 years.

I got my passport this last week (I applied about 3 weeks ago), and it DOES have the RFID logo, to my dismay. Someone mentioned that they might be issued only in certain states states - but I don't think it's necessarily the state in which you currently live; rather it's determined by the regulations of the state in which your BORN. At least, that's what I was led to believe.

Posted by: Phtt, 14 April 2007, 01:30 ( 1:30 AM)

I received my passport last week and it is chipped and does have the logo. I live in Tennessee but do not know which office sent it.

Posted by: Beth G, 14 April 2007, 19:50 ( 7:50 PM)

i am a native born texan. i got my passport via a passport expediting service located in dallas texas (date of issue 17 april 2007). it was hand delivered to me and so no postmark was available and therefore i can not determine which office issued it. it has the rfid logo on the front cover.

Posted by: Brad Shepard, 22 April 2007, 12:12 (12:12 PM)

Three members of my family renewed our passports between November, 2006 and May, 2007. The one who lives in Texas got an ordinary passport, issued in December, 2006. One who lives in Los Angeles (renewed in November, 2006) and one who lives in Vienna, Austria, and renewed in May, 2007 through the embassy there, got the new RFID passports. In both cases, the issuer of the RFID passports was the US Department of State; the non-RFID was issued by the National Passport Center.

Posted by: dobes, 10 May 2007, 08:14 ( 8:14 AM)

Applied for renewal via expedite mail service about 9 days ago, received new one 2 days ago, no RFID. Delivered from Portsmouth NH, applied in NY.

Posted by: Gene, 10 May 2007, 20:33 ( 8:33 PM)

I would caution your readers that as an RFID is part of a passport, those who willfully destroy their RFID chips run the risk of being charged with willfull destruction or mutilation of a U.S. passport.

Posted by: John Pierce, 16 May 2007, 11:41 (11:41 AM)

reading the replies to this article, one question comes to mind: If the US government is so keen on this chipped passport for security reasons, then why on earth are they allowing passports to be send via the post?
I live in Holland and we have to come pick up our passports at city hall and IDENTIFY ourselves. How can it be possible that such an important document is sent by post where any mailman can just steal your new passport?

Posted by: John, 1 June 2007, 07:58 ( 7:58 AM)

I used the expidited service at the post office and recieved the E-passport in less than a week
from Seattle. Applied 05-28-07. Was told at time of app. that even with expiditing that it would take up to 8 weeks? Was hoping that it wasnt chipped. I will definetly use a sheilding pouch.

Posted by: Greg, 1 June 2007, 08:51 ( 8:51 AM)

I just got a replacement passport today, 2007 June 14. It does *not* have the RFID logo on it. I was born in Mississippi and the passport processing all went through the American embassy in Tokyo, Japan.

Can we be sure there are no RFID in passports with no RFID logo on them? Our government is doing such a half-assed job of everything else, maybe they have done away with the RFID logo compliance and just not announced the policy change yet . . .

Greg Conquest

PS Comments such as the first one above by John Johnson are indistinguishable from trolling and deserve to be ignored as such -- and even deleted as not conveying any meaning.

Just got my renewal passport today. It was a 14 week wait with standard service. It came from Portsmouth, NH, and I am a native Utahn. There is no RFID logo.

Posted by: Joseph, 21 June 2007, 12:20 (12:20 PM)

My husband and I applied the same time for our passports. we used the expedited service. We received our passports within 2 weeks. I recceived mine a day earlier. Mine came with the chip. His did not. on the last page mine says this document contains sensitive electronics. We live in Indiana. We both were born in the same state. If you go to the official passport website, you can determine where your passport was made.

Posted by: kw, 26 June 2007, 10:11 (10:11 AM)

Some of the information in this article is incorrect. You CAN be processed as though you have a normal (non-RFID) passport if the chip inside is failing to be read. From the State Dept website:

What will happen if my Electronic passport fails at a port-of-entry?

The chip in the passport is just one of the many security features of the new passport. If the chip fails, the passport remains a valid travel document until its expiration date. The bearer will continue to processed by the port-of-entry officer as if he/she had a passport without a chip.

First chance I get I am going to disable this. Anyone have a proven method for disabling / destroying the chips ability to function without tampering (visibly) with the passport? I previously read someone mentioning nukeing it in the microwave? Will a strong magnet (I have a couple of UberOrbs that are pretty strong) easily do the trick?

Posted by: John, 6 July 2007, 12:20 (12:20 PM)

Got my passport back today - no RFID logo or chip as far as I can tell. Was a renewal that I expediated from California to the National Processing Center. Was issued by the State Dept. I was born and had my last passport issued in Mass. Spent most of the time that I had my previous passport living abroad. Passport seems to have the old style visa pages. Am relieved to not have the chip - sure to cause problems at some point.

Btw, I applied for my new passport in Oct 2006. I don't remember where it came from, but it does not have the RFID.

Posted by: Court, 12 July 2007, 09:12 ( 9:12 AM)

I just got my passport and it has the logo and the message about electronic device. I live in Boston, and I believe it went out to Philadelphia, though there is no sender address. On the passport above "authority," it just says it was issued by the State Dept (my old one, which I got living in FL, said Miami Passport Authority). This sucks!!

Posted by: MS, 18 July 2007, 10:48 (10:48 AM)

I've been RFID'd! My passport (renewal) came back with the beastly logo. This is very disturbing. (See the film "Zeitgeist" on Google Video.)

Posted by: JoanZ, 31 July 2007, 15:01 ( 3:01 PM)

I applied for my passport in Feb 07 and got it back in april i have the chip in mine and it has the logo. I live in Washington north of Seattle.

Posted by: k-bel, 14 August 2007, 21:29 ( 9:29 PM)

For information about the RFID chips, the information on the US department of state government website is reliable. I do not think you should be concerned about the RFID chips after you read the valid information from the Department of State website. (no need to put your passport in the microwave, either : )

Posted by: J, 18 August 2007, 09:08 ( 9:08 AM)

Don't know if you wanted know about New Zealand but I have just received a new passport for my son and it has the little orange RFID logo and a very thick plastic 'page' for the last page.

Also came with a set of warnings to treat it like any other piece of electrical equipment.

Apparently, according to the brochure, I can view the information on the chip at and "Identity Services Office".

I think NZ has been issuing these for at least the last year or so. But definently was not issuing them 3 years ago when I renewed my passport.

Posted by: Leslie, 22 August 2007, 14:06 ( 2:06 PM)

Received my renewed passport this last week of August. I applied for it in June, 2007. It has stiff cardboard covers and the pic attached to a flimsy interior page (seems to be asking for someone to tamper with it). The chip symbol is on the cover in gold.

Return address is Portsmouth, NH.

I find it interesting that the USPS Delivery confirmation barcode has been scribbled out on the mailing label.

I'll be buying a cover for the thing tonight!

Posted by: Kate, 31 August 2007, 22:01 (10:01 PM)

passports with chips are issued completely at random. (doesn't matter where you live or where you're born) d.o.s is hoping to have every passport converted over to an rfid chip eventually, but right now it's just a test.

Posted by: k., 1 September 2007, 17:38 ( 5:38 PM)

passports with chips are issued completely at random. (doesn't matter where you live or where you're born) d.o.s is hoping to have every passport converted over to an rfid chip eventually, but right now it's just a test.

Posted by: k., 1 September 2007, 17:38 ( 5:38 PM)

What's the BFD? The RFID isn't perfect, but what is? The whole idea of the chip is to make forgery more difficult if not impossible by storing the information printed on the ID page on the RFIC chip. The paranoia being exibited by some folks is incredible. Improving security of any system is an evolution and the electronic passport is simply that.

Posted by: craven, 2 September 2007, 22:10 (10:10 PM)

The information stored on the RFID chip is the same info displayed on page 3 of the passport - a digital photograph of the passport holder, your name, date & place of birth & date of issue/expiration - simply an electronic version of your passport.

When the chip is scanned it confirms you are the person identified on page 3. No other information is stored on this chip.

The electronic passport makes it much more difficult to forge. In addition to the chip, the new passport uses a digital scan of the photo you send in (not laminated as in the past), specially watermarked pages, and holograms as security features.

Disabling the chip will only bring more scrutiny to a person who may attempt this as border agents will want to confirm your passport is not stolen by some terrorist attempting to circumvent its security features.

The paranoia over the electronic passport is simply unwarranted. People should be happy efforts are being made to secure their country's borders. Albeit not perfect, nothing will ever be.

Posted by: Yellowscarf, 3 September 2007, 12:59 (12:59 PM)

The first paragraph of this "blog" article is false. Other than the information found on the identity page of a passport (photo, date & place of birth, and validity dates of the passport), there is no other information imbedded on the chip for an identity thief to steal.

And to be tracked, a scanner would have to be within approximately 1 meter of your passport.

If you lost a non-electronic passport, you'd loose the same information - nothing more.

Posted by: Mile High, 3 September 2007, 14:28 ( 2:28 PM)

Wow! Several posters have recently been asking "what's the big deal" about this.

I wouldn't start driving a car till I knew how to use the brakes; I wouldn't take off in an airplane before I knew how to land; and no personal information storage/retrieval system should commence before security is assured.

The passport RFID program has been rushed, and the privacy safeguards are simply not there. And as to the information being there not being sensitive. Well, I don't know what's on the chips. Informing passport holders of what's on their chips and demonstrating there's nothing else there should be an integral part of the whole process.

Of course, this can't be done. Do any of you think the US government would not mislead you in its attempt at doing whatever it wants to do? It has a long history of doing just that. The individual becomes expendable in the overall scheme.

It is in protection of oneself that the civil disobedience of questioning orders, demanding explanations, and refusing to cooperate is a higher good than simply doing what you're told.

What is it besides paranoia that people think the government wants to track them? What is it that makes you so important that you think there's more information on a passport chip than the government leads you to believe?

Ever receive a pre-approved credit card application? More is known about you from a credit probe than a passport chip will reveal.

Paranoid posters that think the chip is such a "big deal" would be better off cleaning their pipe - tracing your hooch is a far easier method of locating you than an electronic passport.

Posted by: zigzag, 25 September 2007, 19:46 ( 7:46 PM)

this is to ease the publics veiw on eventual chips embedded in skin, for everybody. This is the ultimate goal quoted by Nelson Rockefella. If you dont do what you are told they'll just turn you're chip off. leaving you anable to buy, sell, or trade... mark of the beast.

Posted by: obviousinfo, 7 October 2007, 19:58 ( 7:58 PM)

People in the United States will continue to give up their freedoms in the name of secutiry, because they are lazy, or because they just aren't educated enough to know any better. Everyone needs to understand that the Government wants control and they will do whatever it takes, up to and including misdirection, to get what they want.

Posted by: Paranoid, 9 October 2007, 10:15 (10:15 AM)

Just buy a shielded passport sleeve and you won't have to worry anyone tracking or reading your passport without you knowing. Identity Stronghold makes a Secure Sleeve for Passports and a Secure Sleeve for the new credit cards and drivers licenses as well. You can buy 3 passport sleeves for $15. Just go to www.idstronghold.com

Government agencies are even buying these sleeves for their employees passports and ID cards from Identity Stronghold.

Keep in mind your cell phone is the ultimate tracking device. As long as it's on, your position is known and you can be located. It can also be hacked to be an open microphone to listen to your conversations surreptitiously. Do you have a credit card? Use it and your location is known immediately. Get a pre-approved credit card application and your social security number, credit rating, and other financial information is already compromised. Use your computer and you're location is known and easily tracked.

An RFID passport is the least of your worries.

Posted by: Skywatch, 18 November 2007, 12:51 (12:51 PM)

The bible says that the second beast will cause all to receive a mark in their forhead or in there right hand.

This mark (known as the mark of the beast) will carry the summation of 666.

Did you know that name Allah (using gematria) carries this summation 666 at least four times? Three by way of the Hebrew language and one using the Greek!

I just renewed my passport (May 2008)and mine has the has a RFID chip in it.

Posted by: Anna G, 1 June 2008, 22:07 (10:07 PM)

I received a new passport in April 2008 and it had the RFID symbol on the front. It is the symbol your picture shows drawn in the same gold color as everything else on the front of the passport.

Posted by: james, 3 August 2008, 22:21 (10:21 PM)

My family would rather not have chips placed into our bodies, we don't even want to be a recipient of a paper cut either. We realize one reason for the fear of these chips being implanted is the idea of it being a mark of a beast, but that is not the case. There are many key elements that direct a person to who and what the beast and its mark is. One element is an image is made that people bow down to and worship and another is it has a name. Bio-chips, social security numbers, government brandings, and other concoctions do not fit. If you take the number 666 and write it in the Hebrew numbering system using letters you come up with vstr, or vav samech tav resh. Vav is a prefix while the root str means secret or hidden. If you then look up the symbols of the letters they are nail, prop, cross, and head, and mean nail, prop, mark or sign, and head or leader. If you put these together it is the crucifix, the image of the beast. If you then take the name of the image, jesus, and add it up it comes to 616. The True Messiah/Christ warned that if another came in his own name he would be accepted, and he said many will come saying they are the Messiah/Christ. He gave us the tools to figure out who this deceiver would be and pointed out the deceiver would sit in the temple of God making himself out to be God and the whole world would be deceived. No one is supposed to bow down to idols or serve them. This is what marks an individual. Do not bow down to them (mark on your forehead) and do not serve them (mark on your hand).

First and formost we need to understand what 666 is. In the book of revelation chapter 13 and 17 it describes the current rotating EU presidential office which consists of six months. these short terms are mentioned many times in other books such as "daniel (short space) and 2 Esdra (all the feathers on the eagle). now that we are entering some kind of world order in which will be based somewhere in the EU and then spread to the whole globe as mentioned in rev 13. the mark of the beast will be state identification as we are currently expierencing.

Posted by: michael walsh, 30 November 2008, 13:20 ( 1:20 PM)

I agree with the last comment, the beast is real and so is his mark! The Antichrist will arise out of what will already be establish for him to continue what man has brought on himself since the beginning of time. The fall of man through sin and disobedience to God and failure to seek God, but seeking other gods in their evil deeds satisfying themselves only, displeasing God and fallen from his grace. With that in mind and given into sin and giving power unto the devil through sin and we see that in the world today the chaos,murders,perversion, wars, lying, God-haters backbiting,adultery,cursing, blaspheming,etc.. people don't understand when we sin we are doing the works of the devil which gives him power. But bless God he has been conquered already though the blood of Jesus.. so let us come to the throne of Grace and repent ask forgiveness for he is just too forgive us from all unrighteousness and believing upon him knowing what is true for he is truth the head of the corner which has been establish from the beginning of time. Now all has been written even whats going on today, turn on the news and you will see the scriptures of the bible be fulfilled before your very eyes..the bible says that no one will be able to buy or sell any thing without the "mark" in your right hand or in your forehead. Were heading that way right now with the collapse of the finacial markets and over 8 billion being spent on rfid, think about it saves money it prevents theft and it is improving everyday, and by time i finish this comment they will have all the bugs worked out of it and you small,rich,poor,black white and others will be positively be identify and globally track in the new world order globalization community,if you willfully except it it will be your choice! P.S serve God or serve the devil you choose, life or death...

Posted by: godknows, 6 December 2008, 20:23 ( 8:23 PM)

I love your request for directness concerning the mark of the beast. The mark cannot possibly be a computer implant in the skin. Revelation 15:2 states we must over come the mark of the beast and gain victory over it through the blood of the lamb.

How in heavens name do you overcome a computer implant? And how would this be accomplished through the blood of the lamb. Did Jesus die for computer chips? The beast of Babylon has something to do with our fallen sin nature, obviouly.

Rediculous theology millions are buying into. No man can be sent to hell for something his government forces on his family. Please awaken all christians to the truth in your Bible ! It is now here for you to prove.

The mark originated with Cain, in the old testiment. Cain killed his brother Abel and sought to cover up his terrible sin. God asked, where is thy brother? Cain said, I know not, am I my brothers keeper? Cain was then marked after becoming the first example of this Satanic behavior God hates.

God cursed the works of Cains hands when the ground he tilled would no longer bring forth her streangth. Thus identifying this mark by a curse on Cains right handed works. A bad economy! Why? Cain had yielded himself to Satans power.

It was Satan who was simbolized as the cursed beast (Serpent) in the garden of Eden.

The next and even clearer example is once again exemplified when Joseph's eleven brothers sought to kill Joseph and sell him into Egypt. The brothers hid this sin from Jacob their father, they killed a wild beast and placed this animals blood upon Joseph's coat of many colors, with an actual bloodstain. The brothers then lied to Jacob, and gave unto Jacob Joseph's coat with this mark of blood, this convinced Jacob that his birthright son was truly dead. The secret plan Jacob knew not, was that the mark upon Joseph's coat was really the "mark of the beast" and not from Josephs body .

The mark of the beast becomes a deception which hides and removes Gods will, and replaces Gods will with Satans deception and plan. It was Gods will that Joseph become the birthright son. Suddenly Joseph is removed from sight by a hidden cover up, by a mark from a beast, or lie.

The brothers sold Joseph to the Egyptians for money. Thus buying and selling the beastly mark for gain. The interpretation of an anti christ is to remove Christs will, and then replace it with the mark of the beast, or Satans will.

Selling out God. When Nebuchadnezzar forced the world to worship his golden God in Babylon, he used the power of the state to replace the true authority of God with a manmade lie.

Nebuchadnezzar also used Gold or money to build his God, and sell out the worship of the true God.. Again replacing Christs will on earth with Satans mark.

After doing this sin God cursed Nebuchadnezzar with the nature of the beast. Read Daniel chapter four. Nebuchadnezzar was marked similar to Cain, being removed from men, becoming insane like a wild beast.

He later repented after 7 years of going through a terrible withdrawl from this evil addiction of power and pride. the 666 number represents Nebuchadnezzars statue and its size. The statue was gold, which represents Nebuchadnezzar himself as made of gold. "Daniel 2." He was the 600 BC man. The entire world represents the power of one single man in 600 BC. His giant golden image was measured exactly 60 cubits high and 6 cubits wide."Daniel 3:1". This marked Babylons attempt to replace God by a six hundred and three score and six. man. "Dan3-1". In otherwords you can find the answer to the worlds greatest mystery right inside your own Bible.
God freed the the beast of Babylon from his evil nature. Evil men today are removing God given freedoms from America by deceptively replacing "one nation under God" with a beastly state plan of socialism, in order to make slaves of free Americans. The same spirit of Babylon today, is once again seeking to remove our God, and replace him with a golden God of the state. They are setting up a God of gold made from our own money. Why? To force us to worship this golden God of state or become fired, or removed or destroyed through political correctness. So no man or women in America can buy or sell, or have a job unless he is contributing to this evil BABYLON GROWING WITHIN OUR OWN COUNTRY. LOOK AT THE TAXATION AND THE BAILOUTS GOING ON BECAUSE OF FREDDY AND FANNY. And no one will put KrIss Dodd nor Barney Frank or Obama in jail for causing it.. Instead they have all been placed in charge of this bail out money...Every man, every women, and every child born today, including the unborn, must now pay money for a huge national debt placing us forever on the hook. This money is going directly into the social democrats hands in order to seal America, and change it into "one nation under their liberal god.

A modern god of gold like unto the 666 god in 600 BC is being constructed for America to sacrifice and worship. All small and great , rich and poor, must now sacrifice for its construction for the creation of change... Remember Obama saying that all Americans must now sacrifice for his change? We are now changing America into the beast of Babylon by the use of our own right hand works and our own money being robbed. This has all being made possible through the deceptions within our own foreheads or decieved minds.

What kind of evil beast got into half of America's foreheads, or intellects, and caused them to vote for their own slavery? Millions of votes cast against a free America? It was an evil beast which decieved their minds through lies coming from the politically correct media. The mark of their votes came directly through their right hands and from their foreheads. Now all of us are forever on the hook unless we can awaken our fellow christians !
Plese help get this new biblical understanding to as many christians as possible. Why? They have been decieved by thousands of money grabbing preachers who have downloaded the wrong understanding of the mark of the beast into christians minds! These decieved christians are still waiting for a computer chip implant, when the mark is already upon them.

HAYDEN, Idaho (AP) - A man who believed he bore the "mark of the beast" used a circular saw to amputate one of his hands, cooked it in a microwave and summoned authorities, Kootenai County sheriff's deputies say.

The man, in his mid-20s, was calm when deputies arrived at his home in this north Idaho town Saturday afternoon, and neither he nor the severed hand bore any noticeable tattoo or other mark, sheriff's Capt. Ben Wolfinger.

"It had been somewhat cooked by the time the deputy arrived," Wolfinger said.

The man, whose name was withheld, was in protective custody in the mental health unit of Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d'Alene, where he and the hand were taken by ambulance. Hospital spokeswoman Lisa Johnson would not say whether an attempt was made to reattach the hand, citing patient confidentiality restrictions.

"He put a tourniquet on his arm before, so he didn't bleed to death," Wolfinger said. "That kind of mental illness is just sad."

The New Testament book of Revelation contains a passage in which an angel is quoted as saying, according to the New International Version of the Bible, "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink the wine of God's fury."

The book of Matthew also contains the passage, "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."

Revolution! This New World Order is nothing more than Hitler's plans continued. Restore the Republic!

Join Now...we need to prepare

Posted by: Jen, 31 May 2009, 08:11 ( 8:11 AM)

I Just got one, and can easially feal where the chip is, it is a standard maganetic rfid chip, quite easy to perminantely disable. Next time you are at target or walmart, just run your passport over their rfid disabler at the register, that should dissable the chip. However if you rub the chip against something it could reenable it;.

Posted by: poster100000, 24 June 2009, 09:23 ( 9:23 AM)

Hi there, a couple things I'd like to share here: my husband and I both just got our first passports, he was born in Illinois, I was born in Texas. We live and applied for the passports in Wisconsin. Both of us have the chip, and the logo is clearly marked on the front cover. I'm wondering where exactly is the chip located. I read that it was somewhere in the front cover...but where more specifically? Thanks!

Posted by: nicole, 7 July 2009, 20:51 ( 8:51 PM)

Got my new passport today. It has the logo on the front cover. I applied for it from Seattle, WA. It was issued by Dept. of State. It is valid from Oct 13, 09. I applied for it on Sept 24th, 09. Not sure if that will help.

Just a thought, an aluminum iron oxide paint or coating would keep the rfid from transmitting more than a few inches...

Posted by: john, 16 October 2009, 21:25 ( 9:25 PM)

The crucial information we need is WHERE is the RFID chip actually located??? We need this info country by country.

Of course, this info (hehe) should not be used to (oooooh!) break the law! Just zero us in!

I live in Thailand. My new RFID passport was issued (look at the postmark) in Charleston SC.

It's clear that we can be tracked by almost anything but doesn't mean It's the mark of the beast. It clearly states the mark will have be on your ight hand or forhead not to mention there are people using this chip now I am very sure this is the mark of the beast God didn't complicate what it will be in revelations so I don't see why anyone would even question the RFID chip because like in the bible you can't purchase without it and if you refuse it you die. sounds like America is getting ready for this new world order. Think about it you can't control a human that knows too much so for the ones who that know and don't accept the mark America won't need, but the ones who do accept are the ones who are blind which makes it easier for them to be controlled and not know it and they can raise their children to live the way f the world. Basically America could care less about us and if they need to they will wipe us all out and start a generation they can control. Remember we only know what they want us to know SO YOU MUST DO YOUR RESEARCH PEOPLE. This is NO GAME! Everything this world presents to us is mainly all lies but since America has trained us a certain way no one wants to believe that America would actually deceive us. WAKE UP! They are humans too and they lie cheat and steal just like any other normal person would. just think about when you're at work with every company there are things that you know that the customers don't. WE ARE THE CUSTOMERS AND AMERICA IS HOLDING BACK ON SOME INFO. I could talk about this all day but it would take me to create my own website because there are so many facts and this happening around us that we don't know about. BUT FOR THE BLIND YOU WILL SEE I JUST PRAY IT'S NOT TO LATE!

Posted by: mizz yatta, 1 March 2010, 15:00 ( 3:00 PM)

I'm just received my passport (I'm from Montana), and it does have the RFID chip.

Posted by: Dan, 28 May 2010, 00:18 (12:18 AM)

I just checked my passport, it does have the symbol/chip. I received it back in 2007 and applied and received it here in Arizona. I am originally from Pa.

Posted by: Nuvea, 20 June 2010, 19:57 ( 7:57 PM)

a tattoo?

Posted by: Angel Wings, 23 August 2010, 01:08 ( 1:08 AM)

And the Passport Office reportedly has been shopping for smaller chips less prone to breakage in the laminating and binding machinery, which would also be harder to detect by feel.

Posted by: James Morgan, 26 August 2010, 18:57 ( 6:57 PM)

I have located the chip in a US passport! It's in the back cover, right above the second tip of the ghost letter "U" of USA. It's in the upper left hand corner, rock the passport to find the "USA". If you look at the outside cover while bending it in that location, you will see the outline of the chip.

Took me hours to find this, please help pass the info on.

Posted by: tami, 5 September 2010, 12:18 (12:18 PM)

Good job, tami! Found it! Rock the passport in direct sunlight and it shows up fairly clearly. It is a small rectangle approximately 3/4 inch down and 3/4 inch in from the upper right corner as you look at the back of the passport.

Posted by: Jeanna, 22 September 2010, 11:38 (11:38 AM)

Hey I got a passport in Australia in the beginning of 2010 and I have the chip and logo, thank u for the site and yes I beleive it is all preparation for what's to come, I have also realised all my pets have been microchipped too..

Posted by: Zoe Gage, 28 February 2011, 02:57 ( 2:57 AM)

My passport contains a RFID chip and it is totally visable including the 4 layer coper antenne. It is on the last page of the passport. I do not consent to the passport being their as it means that enemies of the UK can get access to my information and that in the UK is treasonous. The passport is 2010. Thanks.

Posted by: Brian, 12 December 2011, 17:08 ( 5:08 PM)

People keep asking "What's the big deal?". While the government has claimed that the chip can only be scanned from 13cm away, independent tests have shown it can actually be scanned at lengths up to 10m. So what you ask? While this means someone can possibly steal your information even from a distance, stop and consider this chilling scenario:

A terrorist places an explosive device equipped with an RFID scanner in an airport garbage can. It scans passports of passerby until it detects one belonging to a pre-specified country... and detonates.

i just applied for a passport card that has that chip too ugh. i need that to go into canada. is there any other way to get into the u.s except for this i should i just tear the thing up i don't want to have that thing..ughh

Posted by: georgee, 17 March 2012, 13:49 ( 1:49 PM)

I just received one on April 10, 2012 and it is chipped! I am from Tulsa, OK. I am looking for an RFID blocking sleeve now!!!

Posted by: Clay, 14 April 2012, 13:58 ( 1:58 PM)

I just received my passport in Apr 2014 and it has a chip. It came from Holland St, Charleston, SC.

Has anyone tried the nuke method? I"m afraid that it will burn my passport.

I only waited two months for them to send it to me and I don"t want to be without a passport for another two months.

Posted by: Elle, 22 April 2014, 06:14 ( 6:14 AM)

Keep on working, great job!

Posted by: Angeline, 19 March 2015, 08:11 ( 8:11 AM)

The "e-passport logo" is similar to a "head in a pillory logo"! (The guillotine logo is missing, though)

Revelation 20:4 (King James Version)
"...and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or IN THEIR HANDS"

Posted by: Mark of the beast, 11 January 2017, 05:46 ( 5:46 AM)

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